Award Brief

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is pleased to announce the “Call for
Proposals” for its 2023 CTBUH International Student Research Competition–culminating with an
award of US$20,000 to be recognized at the CTBUH 2023 International Conference, held in Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur from 16–21 October 2023.

The goal of the 2023 Student Research Competition is to assist talented students, working in groups
under the guidance of a professor, to focus on a relevant research question, and create an engaging
“output” as a response. It is up to the students to interpret the theme, and outline how their research will
address it, including how the funds will be used to support the intended outcome. In fact, the ultimate
objective of this award is to give the chance to students of any discipline to immerse themselves – for the
first time, in detailed, academic/applied research, under the guidance of a professor – in a topic in which
they are particularly interested and invested. Thus, design/build studio proposals are also welcomed, with
practical outputs of the research, in addition to academic research proposals.

Submission Deadline
Proposals (to be submitted here) are due by Monday 12 June 2023 (12:00 p.m. Chicago time). To
express your interest in participating prior to this date, to discuss the suitability of your proposal in more
detail, or to ask any questions, please contact: research@ctbuh.org.

Please note: The International Student Research Competition is open to students under the guidance of
a professor, while the CTBUH International Research Seed Funding initiative is aimed specifically at
research professionals. It is therefore not possible to submit a proposal to both programs.

Award
Amount: US$20,000, paid in three installments at project start, midpoint and conclusion, on display of
satisfactory progress. The research period itself should ideally last for a maximum of six months. Please
note: the grant budget should not be spent to disseminate the findings at conferences, symposiums, etc.

Key Dates
• 24 April 2023: Call for Submissions
• 12 June 2023: Submissions Due
• June 2023 – July 2023: Jury Deliberates
• 17 July 2023: Winning Team Notified
• October 2023: Winning Team announced at CTBUH 2023 Conference
• November 2023 - April 2024: Research Conducted

Proposal Submission Requirements / Submission Template

All applications must be submitted in English. All proposals should include information/details necessary
for the jury to understand the research ideas and anticipated outcomes. The award funds are intended to
finance the student’s research work and may be used to cover all expenses that serve this purpose
(including the necessary equipment and material, travel expenses directly related to the research itself,
etc.). It may not be used to cover salaries, tuition, or indirect costs of the research, nor can it be used for
dissemination (attending conferences, publishing papers/books, etc.). CTBUH will assist with the
dissemination of progress and findings to the international community through its normal channels –
publications, website, newsletters, etc.

Team Submissions
Applications will be accepted from students, as individuals or groups, or from PhD candidates. In both
cases, a professor of the belonging faculty will act as a primary student advisor. The academic
professional must represent public or private institutions that can effectively carry out the research (i.e.,
non-institutional, individual, private submissions will not be accepted). Each student or team can submit
only one research proposal. The submitter or team members do not need to be CTBUH members;
however, it is expected that the award recipient(s) will become CTBUH members and get involved in the
activities of the Council more generally. Team projects may have as many students as are deemed
necessary but must designate one academic professional who will serve as the communication liaison
with CTBUH.

Selection Committee & Criteria

The evaluation of proposals will be undertaken by the CTBUH Expert Peer Review Committee, with
guidance from the funding sponsor. The committee reflects a multi-disciplinary group of tall building/urban
experts from around the world, with established research and publication records, as well as tall building
experience in varying fields. After a first-round evaluation by the Expert Peer Review Committee, the top
five proposals will be reviewed by a jury representing the Seed Funding Sponsor and CTBUH
representatives, to determine the winner. The CTBUH reserves the right to reject all applications and
grant no awards.

The criteria for selection include the following broad guidelines:

1. Quality of the proposed research topic objectives, appeal of the topic, and methodology (20
points)
2. Experience and aptitude of the advisor and students to deliver on the project and to produce an
interesting output (20 Points)
3. Relevance, novelty, and suitability for the result to be published in the form determined by the
submitter (20 Points)
4. Justification of project support expenses for which funds will be used (20 points)
5. Awareness of research limitations and timeline (10 points)
6. Clarity of the written proposal, including proper use of grammar (10 points)

Total (100 points)

Post-Award Procedures
The goal of the work under the auspices of the award is to initiate and conduct research in a formal
partnership with CTBUH.

1. The CTBUH expects the award recipient to attend the CTBUH 2023 International Conference to
collect the award. The CTBUH will offer a complimentary Conference Only registration for the
principal investigator of the winning research project. The CTBUH Research Seed Funding grant
should not be used to cover the recipient remaining costs to participate at the event.
 2. Following the successful award announcement, the award recipient must facilitate the execution
of a signed funding agreement between the academic professional and the Council within 30
days.
3. The actual research must start within a reasonable timeframe from the award, in conjunction with
the winning institution’s academic schedule.
4. Typically, it is expected that the project will be completed in a maximum 6-month timeframe.
5. In all announcements, publications, presentations, and other outputs in connection with this
project, the award recipient should include appropriate reference to the funding provided by the
sponsor with the phrasing “with kind support of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
and Ramboll.”
6. The CTBUH expects the home institution of the academic professional (which has, among other
things, the necessary experiences of institutional, legal, and labor issues) to take on fiduciary
responsibility for the administration of the award funds in the name of, and on behalf of, the
academic professional, to distribute the funds to the students, as they see fit. For this purpose, an
agreement must be concluded between the academic professional and the home institution, and
submitted to CTBUH, before the award funds are paid.
7. The award recipients will submit full and complete reports to the Council of the findings of the
research, including the manner in which the funds are spent and the progress made in
accomplishing the purposes of the grant (two reports are necessary – interim and final).
8. The award recipients will keep records of receipts covering all expenditures and supply
justification of the complete expenditure to CTBUH for accounting purposes.
9. The award recipient will cooperate with the Council staff on all publicity and media related to the
award, its progress, and outcomes throughout the duration of the funding and afterward.
10. The award recipient will repay any amount not used for the purposes of the grant, if not expended
within 12 months of the award announcement.
11. The CTBUH considers it essential that research results be published. An obligation of the
research award is that the findings be submitted first for consideration for publication in the
CTBUH Journal. Ideally, they will be used to produce a publication in the CTBUH Research
Report series.
12. Acceptance of the award constitutes an agreement to pursue the development of the research
jointly with the Council. The agreement provides for the Council to offer its full cooperation in
supporting future research efforts including: 1) offering strategic and technical information for
developing the research; 2) assisting with locating and developing subsequent funding proposals;
and 3) serving as the fiscal agent for research funding obtained jointly. In return, the CTBUH is
expected to be acknowledged as a partner on the project, and have provision within the financial
budget submitted.

About the CTBUH

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world’s leading resource for
professionals focused on the inception, design, construction, and operation of tall buildings and future
cities. Founded in 1969 and headquartered at Chicago’s historic Monroe Building, the CTBUH is a not-
for-profit organization with an Asia Headquarters office at Tongji University, Shanghai; a Research Office
at Iuav University, Venice, Italy; and an Academic Office at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.
CTBUH facilitates the exchange of the latest knowledge available on tall buildings around the world
through publications, research, events, working groups, web resources, and its extensive network of
international representatives. The Council’s research department is spearheading the investigation of the
next generation of tall buildings by aiding original research on sustainability and key development issues.
The Council’s database on tall buildings is updated daily with detailed information, images, data, and
news. The CTBUH also developed the international standards for measuring tall building height and is
recognized as the arbiter for bestowing such designations as “The World’s Tallest Building.”